My beginning into the complex world of coffee roasting

I started roasting coffee in 1999 in our shed at home. I had this burning need to get into the coffee bean, more that just been a barista. A barista can feel the oils within the palm of a hand, crush the bean between fingers but not be apart of it's evolution from that green hard raw coffee bean to a fine liquid amberf found in a perfectly pulled espresso shot. For me its was getting into the bean's DNA.

After working on the small 600g air roaster in my shed, I started to develop more of a basic understanding of raw beans, and how they played out their time within the glass roasting chamber. I asked my raw coffee supplier to make a few changes to the blends I was purchasing, a bit more of this Colombian a little less of that Indian etc. I got to this point with my palate from these small changes, and was craving for more complexly, body, creaminess than what was been delivered.

I took up what felt like an impossible challenge ahead of myself, and jumped into the pool of coffee blending.

I was like a hungry cub, all bright eyed and willing to explore my domain with innocence and at the same time, stalking the unknown without conxcernquence.

I spent a whole year working on my first blend, sending out samples to my unsuspecting customers at our busy little cafe in Robe. I'd watch tentatively over my La San Marco for any hint of expression from there faces. People do give away some of their true thoughts, intentions when oblivious to the coming and goings of the outside world.

I must say at that time at our little cafe, it was the most magical, mystical time spent so far within of my journey of coffee roasting.

Drinking Regional Espresso

Drinking Regional Espresso


Cutting to the chase, the coffee found in regional NSW gets the vote for the crappiest I have ever tasted, ever. So much for NSW containing the hottest, most innovative coffee people on the planet! When oh WHEN are they going to wake up and ask themselves: 'how can I make more money?' it's the single question so many business people ask inside their brains, but never comprehend what the true meaning then having the vision to imperilment/manifest into reality.
I try to lead people onto the road but they just wonder off into the dust.


Back on our road to QLD, after traveling for oh about 9days I hit pay dirt. Nossa. One perfect piccolo. I also ordered two strong 12oz flat whites, 8oz soy latte, and a double shot 8oz latte. All my people didn't think that their coffee was that flash, which leads onto the fact that TA coffee never ever tastes as funky in a cup, or glass. It doesn't cut it. Flavours lost in translation.


On coming back home after been away for 16days, we drive into Robe and make a beeline to the coffee machine. I was a little disappointed by the gramamge was too heavy so my espresso was over syrupy and a little sour. I didn't want to upset anyone so I left them alone for two days and then passed on the needed changes.


We got back on track, and am working on improving staff sensory perception.

Free Dosing Coffee

I finally got my hands on a Azkoyen Capriccio. With 64 mm Ditting blades and 4 sec grind time, I'm loving my new toy.

I have always used Mazzer dosage grinders for my espresso bar, but since we don't go through a huge amount of beans we needed a grind on demand grinder for aura fresh espresso; equal to the Mazzer but I didnt want to purchase a grind on demand Kony as I already have a Mini Electronic Mazzer - its good, but just too slow 17sec for a double basket. Nice to have a change, try a different brand of grinder.

So this brings me to a little soap box I have:-
I am observing many cafes, restaurants, espresso bars using dosage grinders as grind on demand grinders. I call them Free Dosers. FDs' try to simulate the benefits of on-demand grinding by using dosage grinders in ways that they were not designed to be used.
The biggest fundamental flaw with using a dosage grinder for free-dosing is that you are using your eye to estimate the grams. This will produce either an inconsistent watery and weak, or bitter molasses over extracted espresso. (I bet anyone reading this post has had a few in their time)
I know a hand full of 'extreme professional' baristi that can achieve perfect espresso time and time again with the free dosing method. The average coffee maker can not.

The average coffee maker inevitably end up air-rating the coffee with FD. Ironic that the one thing that they think they are doing by free dosing - making the freshest coffee available, but instead they are losing all that beautiful rich delicate oils by allowing the coffee to free fall back into the big empty chamber from scraping any over fill from the basket. How to make fresh coffee lose creama and flavour so quickly.
Also within this floored method, many coffee makers are wasting kilos and kilos of coffee by over filling the baskets with unnecessary gram age, wastage around the grinder and in the time it takes to stuff around with the frantic flicking of the grinder handle you could of loading up two double portafilters.

Some times you just have to really think about every single move you make within espresso, pull it apart, don't run with the trends, and completely understand what you are trying to achieve. Taste is everything in coffee, and if its not making your taste buds cry out in joy then you need to work out why.

A New Beginning

Welcome to my blog. I have often wanted to write my journey within the world of coffee, business and personal views calmly in a quite space away from the crowds at work and home.

My inspiration in choosing the canvas of the 'blog' is from reading my bro Steven's. It just spills out of his mind into words, sentences and then on to the endless pages of the world wide web. I like it.